Racing: Wall of horses no problem for Grey Way

Grey Way, 1979. Photo / Supplied

You only have to look at the winning weights in the Easter Handicaps three decades ago to know Grey Way was a champion.

A champion to overcome being seen when a 2-year-old as a potential jumper and to overcome a club foot and win a remarkable 51 races, never having to face a raceday fence in his life.

Through the 1970s great horses won the Easter, Kiwi Can with 57.5kg, Tudor Light carrying 56kg, Turfcutter 50.5kg, and Silver Wraith 51.5kg. In the 80s Shivaree lumped 58kg and fine mare Silver Nymph had 51.5kg.

So when Grey Way carried 60.5kg to win the Easter in 1977 you have to say it was one of the greatest Easters ever, certainly since Kindergarten mesmerised everyone into making them believe - those that are still alive to this day - that he was the finest racehorse in living memory.

Grey Way didn't just win the Easter, he won in spite of not having previously scored right-handed and with rider Bob Skelton giving up on the job 120m from the finish when there was simply no gap in a wall of horses ahead, horses incidentally that almost certainly made up the best overall Easter field ever assembled.

Bob Skelton cannot come to Ellerslie these days from his home in Melbourne without reliving that magnificent moment in his career which he says he'll take to his grave.

"There was never a horse like he was that day," said Skelton during the Ellerslie Derby carnival last month.

Skelton swears he can point to the blade of home straight grass when he told Grey Way, "No, there's no way through there," and Grey Way said, "Yes there is."

"He just took charge of me. I've never had a horse do that before or since.

"He said, 'To hell with this, we're going to win.' There was no gap there, but he made one."

These weren't brumbies he was running past either.

Kiwi Can, Tudor Light, Vice Regal, Shifnal's Pride and Patronise were in that wall of horses and each one would be a group one winner in New Zealand these days.

* Grey Way wasn't extensively campaigned in Australia, but he did win there, including taking the Chirnside Stakes on a rain-affected track, which was his pet hate.

Sydney's Doncaster Handicap was a race that would have been within his range had he been able to get into it on a decent weight, but horses were not as extensively travelled as they are today.

The Doncaster is run at Randwick today and it will be up to Wall Street to represent New Zealand.

We all know that at his best Wall Street is up to this race. What we don't know is why he raced so poorly in his first Sydney start this preparation. It wasn't three lengths off his best form, it was 13 lengths.

There is a big turnaround required and trainer Jeff Lynds, while not saying much, is quietly confident we'll see a different horse this time.

Despite her 56kg topweight, More Joyous is close to $2 to win the Doncaster and will take beating, despite the race not always being kind to favourites, but outside her the rest are very even.

Wall Street's performance to win the Emirates Stakes at the Melbourne Cup carnival would take him close today.